NJASK 2014 Final Review

1. NJASK 2014 Final Review

2. Make an acronym for six (or more) useful transition words – plus know some good ones too. Like: additionally, moreover, however – THESE ARE GOOD ONES, BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW THEM.MEMORIZE YOUR ACRONYM!Write it on the test as soon as you can!

3. Make an acronym for six (or more) useful PLUS ONE words (on my website) –plus know some good ones too. Like: awry; apparent, consider, evident -- the powerful verbs and confident voice words for example!MEMORIZE YOUR ACRONYM!Write it on the test as soon as you can!

4. DAY ONE: reading passage(S) & open-ended and multiple choice – PLUS – USUALLY PERSUASIVE ESSAY! SOMETIMES THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL WRITING PROMPT ON THIS DAY! Chances are, it is a test prompt for the future, but there is no guarantee. DAY TWO: READING PASSAGE(S) & OPEN-ENDED AND MULTIPLE CHOICE – PLUS – EXPLANATORY OR NARRATIVE essay/story! If you get both, one probably does not count, but we do not know which one!

5. In english – you are graded on four reading passages, four open-ended responses, one persuasive essay, and one explanatory ornarrative essay/story!Any other additional prompts they give to you are to test for future years. However, you will not know which prompts/readings count and which ones are the extras. Do your very best on all of them!

6. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice and Open-Ended Response • STEPS! • Take a deep breath. NOTE THE TIME! • Turn to the questions first. • Read all the questions. Review open-ended question too. • Underline key words in the questions. • Turn to the passage. Read it all the way through without going back to the questions.

7. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice • and Open-Ended Response • STEPS continued! • While reading, underline important information, WRITE IN THE MARGINS, and try to find QUOTES for the open-ended response. • Then, start with question one. • ELIMINATE the answers you know are not correct. Physically, cross them out! • With multiple choice, be sure to go back to the passage to confirm your possible answersBEFORE you finalize them. MAKE YOUR CHOICE!

8. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice • and Open-Ended Response • STEPS continued! • Pay very close attention to the VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT questions. These are often the tricky ones. Go back to the passage! • Skip ones you do not know, but mark them so you remember to go back. • Additionally, be sure to correspond the correct bubble with your answers. • ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS! • Note the time! You should have about 12 minutes left!

9. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice • and Open-Ended Response • STEPS continued! • When multiple choice is finished, start the open-ended response. • You MUST answer every bullet point. • You may write one big paragraph, or if it is easier for you, write a paragraph for EACH BULLET POINT. • For every bullet point in the question, you NEED a supportive quote from the reading.

10. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice • and Open-Ended Response • STEPS continued! • For every bullet points, try to give AT LEAST TO REASONS/WHYS/HOWS/EXPLANATIONS to support, especially the first bullet. If there are three available, USE THREE. • Use reading information to support. • FORMAL WRITING – no contractions! • Follow all the writing rules you have learned! • Likely, unless they ask a specific question about your opinion or your life, YOU NEED TO STAY IN THIRD PERSON. NO personal pronouns like I, WE, OUR, MY.

11. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice • and Open-Ended Response • STEPS continued! • TRANSITION WORDS are necessary. GOOD ONES! • Do NOT begin sentences with ALSO, BECAUSE, BUT, AND, SO – Use stronger transition words. • Moreover, try not to use first, secondly, finally, or the ordinary transitions. • You still need an introduction sentence, or possibly a “hook” before you begin writing. • You may use a FUNNEL style. • No contractions!

12. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice • and Open-Ended Response • STEPS continued! • You will NOT have time to edit, SO WRITE PERFECT SENTENCES FROM THE START. • Go slowly and CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORDS and the RIGHT PUNCTUATION the first time you write a sentence! • Use SOPHISTICATED VOCABULARY! No good, bad, happy, sad, mad, stuff, things, ‘cause, “a lot”

13. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice • and Open-Ended Response • STEPS continued! • When you explain yourself, use the reading AS YOUR REFERENCE. • YOU MUST USE AT LEAST ONE QUOTE, but one for every bullet point is even better. • NJASK readers LOVE when you make a connection to the WORLD, but that does NOT mean some silly life story that is a real stretch. • Pick a connection where you can use THIRD PERSON.

14. Reading Passage with Multiple Choice • and Open-Ended Response • STEPS continued! • Unless you are asked specifically to talk about YOU, STAY IN THIRD PERSON! • If you are writing about literature, and not non-fiction, USE LITERATURE WORDS. • WRAP IT UP! You need a closing. • Restate what you said at the beginning, but use different words. • EXAMPLES FOLLOWING!

15. You just finished reading and answering multiple choice, here is the writing prompt. When Spider thinks about the spelling bee, he thinks about a mountain lion, a coyote, and a spider.• Explain how each one helps Spider.• Decide which one is most helpful and explain why. Use specific information from the story and any additional insight to support your response. Response would likely be one very long paragraph (20 sentences maybe?), or two paragraphs – one for each bullet point. You would likely need one “quotation” to support each bullet point. This response IS ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL INSIGHT. You would need to make some connection here to the world. NOT a mini-story about you! A connection, text to text or text to world.

16. Response would likely be at least two paragraphs because it has THREE bullet points. The last bullet point is NOT related to the story, so it would be a separate paragraph. It is not impossible that you could have three paragraphs – one for each bullet point. You would likely need one “quotation” to support bullet points one and two, but not number three. The third bullet point is specifically asking for you to MAKE CONNECTIONS. You would need to make some connection to the world – IT COULD BE ALMOST ANY TYPE, BUT AVOID mini-stories about you! A connection, text to text or text to world is a good idea. You just finished reading and answering multiple choice, here is the writing prompt. Near the end of the story, the author says, “Something smelled of trickery.” • As used in this story, what does this phrase mean?• Explain why Fox was able to outsmart Tiger.• “Sly like a fox” is a common simile. Discuss this simile offering examples. Use specific information from the story and any additional insight to support your response.

17. You just finished reading and answering multiple choice, here is the writing prompt. Response would likely be one very long paragraph (20 sentences maybe?), or two paragraphs – one for each bullet point. You would likely need one “quotation” to support each bullet point, but the second bullet point COULD be tough depending on the passage. This response IS ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL INSIGHT. You would need to make some connection here to the world. Since this piece is NON-FICTION and historical, that should be VERY EASY TO DO. Be sure to clearly explain yourself. As the article explains, Sybil Ludington was a real person.• How did Sybil’s actions affect the American Revolution?• How could this historic ride influence other people? Use specific information from the article and any additional insight to support your response.

18. Narrative Writing: STEPS in STORY-TELLING! Read the prompt! Read it again to be sure you understand what you are being asked to do. You may use “I;” however, you may tell the story in first person (I) or third person. Elevate your vocabulary. Write a very strong HOOK. If appropriate, write a creative title.

19. NARRATIVE WRITING: EXPLAIN! TELL THE STORY! BE DESCRIPTIVE! Get to the point! Write from your heart!

20. Narratives Did YOU Know? • NARRATIVE writing can be based on make-believe OR REAL people, places, events, and situations. • It is important to use dazzling WORD CHOICE when creating your STORY. • A great way to help you with vivid WORD CHOICE is to remember your five senses. THINK ADJECTIVES! • What are your five senses?

21. INCLUDING VIVID and DAZZLING LANGUAGE MEANS TO REMEMBER: • SIMILES • METAPHORS • PERSONIFICATION • ALLITERATION • and ALL OTHER TYPES OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

22. Narratives The Main Ingredients • POINT OF VIEW • The point of view is told by the narrator of the story (YOU). • The narrator may be a FIRST-PERSON character who tells the story from an “insider” perspective. • Another choice is for the narrator to tell the story from an outside perspective called the THIRD-PERSON point of view.

23. Narratives The Main Ingredients • SETTING • Time and place! It could include: weather conditions, social conditions, historical time period, and/or the mood you create. • Create a mental picture for the reader using your five senses. • Make the setting come to LIFE using lots of details and strong word choices!

24. Narratives The Main Ingredients • PLOT • The Story Steps: What happens first, next, after that, then, and last. This is known as the RISING and FALLING ACTION of the story • Every story has a problem, situation, or CONFLICT that is clearly introduced early in the story (the opening). • The story builds towards (build-up) solving the problem (climax). • At the end of the story, the problem is resolved (resolution).

25. Narratives The Main Ingredients • ORGANIZATION • It is BEST to tell your story in the order or sequence in which the events happen – CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER • Try using some of these organizational techniques in your narrative. • Flashback – Give and quote first and then explain the story! • Setback • Foreshadowing

26. Narratives The Main Ingredients • THEME • The theme is the controlling idea or central insight.  • It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea being conveyed. • The theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature.  • What is the author’s message(s) in the story?

27. Narratives WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? • TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO GATHER YOUR THOUGHTS. • USE THE PROVIDED AREA IN THE NJASK BOOKLET TO BRAINSTORM YOUR IDEAS. • REMEMBER CHARACTERS (YOU?), SETTING, PLOT and THEME. • CONSIDER YOUR ENDING FIRST. THIS STRATEGY WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO WORK TOWARDS. • INCLUDE A COUPLE OF LINES OF DIALOGUE! • WRITE FOUR to FIVE PARAGRAPHS (MINIMUM).

28. Narratives WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? • Be sure to INCLUDE: • Introduction -- The beginning of the story is where the characters and the setting are explained. Grab reader’s interest quickly. Draw the reader in. • Rising Action– The events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed. • Climactic Moment– The highest point of interest and the turning point of the story are brought to the forefront of the story.  The reader wonders what will happen next. Will the conflict be resolved or not?

29. Narratives WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? • Be sure to INCLUDE: • Falling Action– The events and complications begin to resolve themselves.  The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not. • Denouement– The final outcome or untangling of events in the story are revealed. Close with a moral or lesson learned.

30. Example Writing Situation: BACKGROUND INFORMATION: A child woke up one morning to get ready for school. When the child walked out the front door, something was different. Write a story about the child, what was different, and what the child does next. • Create a story based on the information you have been given.

31. Example Writing Situation: • BACKGROUND INFORMATION: A seventh-grade student had a big test the following day. The championship basketball game was after school, and grandma’s 75th birthday party was at 6 PM that evening. How was he ever going to study? • Write a story about this 7th grader, and how he deals with his problem. • Create a story based on the information you have been given.

32. Example Writing Situation: • BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Some students like to plan every activity that they do each day. Some prefer to go through the day with as little planning as possible. Think of a day in your life that was especially enjoyable. Was it a day that you had carefully planned or one that was unplanned?Write an story about a day that you enjoyed which was either planned or unplanned. Be sure to use details, examples and reasons in your explanation.

33. Example Writing Situation: • BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Fear is a common human emotion, but each person’s response to it varies. Using an example from your own experiences or observations, write an story about your particular situation and your response to fear in the given situation. Be specific.

34. Example Writing Situation: • Writing Task The last day of school was approaching. All of the students were excited in anticipation of the coming summer vacation. Sam had been planning his first day off from school. He could not wait. Then without warning something changed all of his careful planning. Write a story about what happened to change his plans.

35. Example Writing Situation: • Writing Task • Think what it would be like to live one day in the setting of your favorite book, short story, or television show. What would happen to you in this place? What would you do?Use your imagination to write a story about your experience in this place.

36. Explanatory Writing – a FEW TYPES: • STEPS! • Read the prompt! • Read it again to be sure you understand what you are being asked to do. • You may use “I.” In most cases, you likely HAVE to use I. • Elevate your vocabulary. • Write a very strong HOOK. • Write a very strong closing! • If appropriate, write a creative title.

37. Explanatory Writing – a FEW TYPES: • STEPS! • THINK CREATIVELY! • Make sure you do it in the format they ask for. • Use forms of elaboration in every paragraph. • SPEAK FROM YOUR HEART! • Think through EVERY SENTENCE before you put it on the paper. • Remember all the writing rules I taught you all year long!

38. EXPLANATORY WRITING • There WILL BE an explanatory/expository prompt, but there are TWO TYPES. The quotation prompt is one of the two types. We will talk about in a minute. • The other type is very similar to the journal type prompts that many teachers give to you. It is based on a familiar topic that everyone faces/enjoys at one time or another. For example: Life can be full of pleasant surprises. Identify a time when you experienced a pleasant surprise. • You are expected to write 5 paragraphs! On last year’s test, most of the “five” scores were five paragraphs in length, so aim for no less than five.

39. EXPLANATORY WRITING • Non-quotation Explanatory Prompts: People enjoy playing games. Some take games they know and change the rules while others invent their own board games, ball games, or other games.  Write an essay about a new game you created or might like to create, or an old game for which you changed the rules. Be sure to explain your game by using details and examples to support your explanation.   Some students like to plan every activity that they do each day. Some prefer to go through the day with as little planning as possible. Think of a day in your life that was especially enjoyable.  Was it a day that you had carefully planned or one that was unplanned?  Write an essay about a day that you enjoyed which was either planned or unplanned. Be sure to use details, examples and reasons in your explanation.

40. Non-quotation explanatory prompt Think about a place where you would like to live when you become an adult. It could be a place where you have lived, the place where you live now, or a place you have never visited. Write an essay for your social studies teacher in which you identify a place where you would like to live when you become an adult. Explain why you would like to live in this place. Be sure to use details, reasons, and examples in your explanation.

41. EXPLANATORY WRITING • Make your explanation withvery specific details. • Use personal knowledge and experiences and explain -- being specific rather than broad. • In your own words, give your explanation – but be sure to stay on the topic that is provided to you. Do not drift! • Use personal knowledge and experiences and explain -- being specific rather than broad. • Speak from your heart! • Be sure to answer the question! • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnq17dyxyu4&feature=player_embedded

42. EXPLANATORY WRITING • If it is the quotation prompt, they will give you a quote and then a question that is related to the quote. • To get your best score, YOU NEED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, and work in the quote into your response. • If you can make a connection to the author of the quote to support what your ideas are, use that information as well. • Think carefully about what the quote means so you can relate it to your answer for the QUESTION YOU ARE ASKED. You must answer that question! • SPEAK FROM THE HEART! BE VERY SPECIFIC! Tell details!

43. EXPLANATORY WRITINGBrainstorm • In your own words, describe what you think the above quote means? Is the quote a simile, a metaphor, or a comparison of some type that needs to be explained? Make sure the reader KNOWS you know what the quote means. • How is this quote important to your life? How does this quote relate to your life? Be specific (details/examples). • How does this quote relate to a person of the past or present (examples: politicians scientists, actors, musicians, sports players, etc)? Be specific (details/examples). Mention the consequences of this person following, or not following, this quote? • How is this quote important to all people -- to the world -- to human beings as a whole? How does this quote relate to all people? Be specific (details/examples). • Briefly mention again the meaning of the quote. Should this quote be taken seriously? What are the consequences of following the quote, and what would be the consequences of ignoring the quote? End with a strong concluding sentence.

44. EXPLANATORY WRITING Consider how the following quotation is related to you. • “Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.”--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 –1882) Write an essay explaining what this quotation means to you. Offer your own insights. Use details and examples in your essay. (NOTE: a traditional quotation prompt)

45. EXPLANATORY WRITING Anne Frank once said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” • Think about what Anne Frank is saying regarding how people can improve the world around them. • Write an essay about how people can improve the world around them. Use your knowledge of books, history, science, movies, television, or your own experience or observation to develop your essay. Be sure to include reasons, facts, examples and other evidence to support your position.

46. EXPLANATORY WRITING • A wise man once said, "The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter." • Think about what this man is saying regarding how people can effectively handle disputes and difficulty. Write an essay about how human beings can use laughter to improve difficult situations. Use your knowledge of books, history, science, current events, or your own experience or observation to develop your essay. Be sure to include reasons, facts, and examples to support your explanation.

47. EXPLANATORY WRITING • “Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions in this life. All of life is an experiment.”-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)Think about times in your life when you experimented with something new. Tell about one of those adventures.

48. Lead / Hook orConcluding ParagraphGrab the Reader’s Attention

49. Persuasive Writing: • STEPS in Writing the Persuasive Essay! • Read the prompt! • Read it again to be sure you understand what you are being asked to do. • Remember; you can use “I.” • Elevate your vocabulary. BIG TIME! • Use transitions – strong ones! Avoid the weak and ordinary ones. • Write a very strong HOOK. • You may, and can, use the FUNNEL STYLE! • Think creatively.

50. Persuasive Writing: • STEPS in Writing the Persuasive Essay! • If appropriate, write a creative title. • Write in the format requested! (Letter? Essay?) • Do NOT forget your COUNTERARGUMENT. For the NJASK, it can go in the concluding paragraph. • You can wrap it up restating your point of view and reviewing your supporting points, but offer something for us to think about. . . . Like a CALL TO ACTION! • REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCE! Write for ENGLISH teachers! Follow the rules!